How to have a happy Christmas dinner

Its the simple things in life that help

The problem is how to have a happy Christmas dinner. I’m the one who needs to take things gently,. Pogressive MS, this dreadful disease makes me clumsy and inept. I can easily fall over or lose my balance so it is vital that I spread the work over the day. That’s the theory, if only it was like that in practice.

How to have a happy Christmas dinner

The Wife comes from a very traditional family. Christmas follows much the same pattern same every year. No its not boring, it’s a family affair and we all enjoy it. This year there are just six of us for this Christmas dinner.

Start of the day

Breakfast is always scrambled egg with smoked salmon, masses of coffee and rounded off with bucks fizz. Not bad eh. Then a Skype call to our son Tim who moved to Australia a few years ago. This is then followed up by grand opening of the presents. Lots of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’, ‘thank you’ xxxxxxxx ‘that is just what I wanted’.

Stuffed and cooked

Now the plot goes a bit pear shaped.

I retire to the kitchen to tidy up after breakfast. I am the cook so I stuff the turkey and carefully consult the Christmas dinner timetable. The rest of the house is very quiet but I don’t think a lot about it. Mary, The Wife’s sister, comes into the kitchen and helps me by putting the washing-up away. Then she announces that everyone has retired to bed.

I was gob smacked

Shoot me down with a boomerang I thought to myself. How could they be sooooo unfair and inconsiderate?

‘You what? You must be joking’ I exclaimed.

‘No they have all retired to their beds’ she said with a straight face and total sincerity.

Whoops

I then turned around to talk to her, I promptly lose my balance and fall over. I get up, no bones broken and no bruises but my pride needs a massage.

Just as well the Christmas dinner is not in their hands I think to myself. Feeling shocked and horrified I needed to justify my existence to myself. Simple solution; log onto Amazon and buy myself a couple of blues CDs. This simple action makes me feel so much better.

Normal service is resumed

Now I’m in control of myself I can return to preparing the Christmas dinner. Turn the oven on and pop the turkey into it, bash some spuds and the last job for the time being is to prepare the sprouts. Christmas day is now back on track.